The Miller With a Tiger Tattoo
by DanieXJ
Summary: Someone new comes into town and no one really knows what she wants. She's also someone that Cora and Hook know from two totally different places.
1. Prologue

**Title**: The Miller With a Tiger Tattoo

**Disclaimers**: Don't own anything, anything at all. Although, I did sorta, mostly create(ish) Aggie.

**Spoilers**: For Once Upon a Time 02x10 "The Cricket Game" (Hopefully I'll get this story done before next Sunday, when I have no doubt all my guesses will be rendered wrong in some way... that is one of the good things about season finales, lots of time to write before there's new stuff that makes your fanfic... wrong... :))

**A/N**: I don't know if people who read my stuff only do it 'cause it's Emma/Regina, but, just a small warning for this story, I'm not sure that it's going to be Emma/Regina.

And, apologies, I could have sworn that when I entered it, I did so with the right title -Tiger- not -Dragon-. Or, maybe I'm too tired and made a mental slip. Oops... it is supposed to be tiger.

* * *

_The pictures tell the story_  
_This life has many shades_  
_I'd wake up every morning and before I'd start each day_  
_I'd take a drag from last nights cigarette_  
_That smoldered in it's tray_  
_Down a little something and then be on my way_

"Excuse me... EXCUSE me..."

The dark haired woman glanced over at the older woman and took one of her ear buds out. "Huh?"

"Please turn that down young lady. I can hear it from over here."

The woman put a hand up. "Right, right, sorry 'bout that." She hit the stop button and took out the other ear bud. "A new album. The Dropkick Murphys."

The older woman smiled just a little, "Tessie? And State of Massachusetts, that one is more of a downer I think. I'm Mary Anne Lee."

The young woman raised an eyebrow, "Is one of those things your last name?"

Mary Anne Lee chuckled, "Nope. All my given name, not a sur among them. I had a lot of people to be named after apparently. Do you have a name?"

The young woman managed to look a little sheepish, "Ah, right. Aggie, call me Aggie."

Mary Anne Lee tilted her head to one side and regarded Aggie, "Is that you're given name?"

Aggie winced, "Ah, well... technically..."

"I told you mine, now..."

Aggie rolled her eyes, but did answer, "Agrona Morrigan Blanid."

Mary Anne Lee shook her head and Aggie got the feeling that she was seconds away from wagging her finger at her. "And you gave me grief for having three given names... hmmm... hmmm?"

Aggie smiled just a bit, "Yeah, sorry 'bout that."

Mary Anne Lee inclined her head, "Apology accepted. Is your name in there somewhere amongst all that... ink... that you have? Is that the correct way to say that."

That brought a chuckle to Aggie's lips, "Ah, no. I mean. Yeah, it's called ink, but, no, I don't have my name as one of my tattoos." Mary Anne Lee leaned across the aisle and squinted at Aggie's left arm which was covered with a tattoo sleeve, "Are they symbols? Or, a story?"

Aggie lifted her arm and touched the tattoo. "I... yeah. They're my stories. I think. I... I'm an orphan, so, I've sorta had to figure out who the hell I am as I go."

"Have you?"

Aggie traced the outline of a crown, and one of a red gem. "Mostly. I think." She cleared her throat and let her arm drop to the arm rest, "I'm hopin' that where I'm going in Maine fills in the rest of the blanks."

"So, you're not going up to PEI?"

Aggie shook her head, "No, no... staying in the US for now." She looked up and around, "Actually, I'm almost at my stop."

Mary Anne Lee frowned as she looked out the bus's windows, "But, there's nothing here at all."

Aggie stood, slinging the small carry on looking bag over her shoulder and glancing out the window, "For me... I think that everything's here." She looked back to Mary Anne Lee, "Nice meeting you Mary Anne Lee."

Mary Anne Lee smiled and stuck her hand out, Aggie shook it, "And thank you for turning down your music Agrona Morrigan Blanid."

Aggie smiled and made her way towards the front of the bus as it came to a stop. The bus driver gave her a look, "You sure ya wanna get out here lady?"

"Definitely."

She got off the bus and stood to one side as it passed. She hefted the bag higher on her shoulder and started walking down the way that the bus hadn't gone. It wasn't too long before she got to a sign by the side of the road. She paused for a moment, "Storybrooke." She rolled the word around in her mouth, saying it a couple of times. She had no burst of insight, so she shook her head and glanced down. There was a painted line on the road, that caused a frown to crease Aggie's face. She shook her head again and stepped over the line and then stumbled, going down on one knee and scraping the hell out of her palms too.

She knew.


	2. Chapter 1

Regina sat alone in Granny's. They hadn't arrested her yet, and she hadn't burned them all to ash yet. They were at a stalemate, and she figured that the reason that Granny hadn't kicked her out was because they figured that it was better if they knew where she was.

She shivered and looked up from her coffee and around. It had felt just the same as when she used magic, but, as she glanced over at Ruby and Granny, she hadn't. She was pretty sure that they'd have gotten all angry and such if she'd used magic without knowing it. She stood, leaving money on the table and swinging her jacket on. Ruby, with her wolf quickness was at the door before Regina could get there. "Hey, you're not going to finish your coffee?"

"No, no I'm not." Regina glanced around, "And, I don't see any bars here, so, please, move aside."

"What's the rush?"

Regina sighed, "Something's different, something's changed in Storybrooke."

Ruby didn't look convinced, "Oh, and you can tell this..."

Regina pinned the wolf with a look, "Because it's- My- town. Move. Aside."

She did, and Regina realized why when she crossed the threshold. David was there waiting for her. She sighed, "I forgot, the only ones who ever work in the kingdom are the Dwarves, right?"

"Going somewhere?"

"The town line."

David raised both eyebrows, "Really? I'll give you the push."

Regina sighed, "It wouldn't work on me, remember, I don't have any other memories but my own." Her face went a bit slack at that, "Maybe that's the spell I should have done instead of this one."

David kept pace with Regina's strides, "Well, finally, something we can agree on."

They were silent for a few moments until Regina broke the silence, "I've figured out what I did wrong... Prince... I should have killed you. At the end, I should never have kept going after her, she's too strong, too smart, I should have killed you like she killed my Daniel."

David put his hands to his sides, "You can now. We're not in a different realm, the protection spell doesn't work here, remember."

Regina stopped and turned her head slowly towards David, "I've changed. No one in this town may believe me, and you and your... wife and Gold may have convinced Emma too, but... I have changed, and- that- is why I haven't killed this entire town. Hopper, he... he was too trusting, and naive in all the wrong ways, just too good in so many ways, but... he didn't take crap from me and..." Regina started walking again, "...he was helping me. I- I will miss him more than the rest of you combined."

That caused a snort of a laugh from David, "Oh, really, you had that much love for him Regina?"

Regina sighed, "No. I couldn't stand him. He may have been your friend, but, he was my last chance."

David rolled his eyes, "But, if you've... changed. Why would you need him still?"

Regina stopped again and this time whirled to face David, making him step a couple of steps back, "Do you think that this is easy? Do you think that if I don't think about it the magic just leaves, that the hate that I have every time I look at... almost anyone in this town... just goes poof because I want it to. How much will it is taking me not to simply take Henry and lay waste to this town?" She poked him in the chest, "I- Didn't get to kiss my true love and have him wake up. I- got to watch as my -Mother- ripped his heart out because you're selfish black heart of a wife didn't want to be...alone. You think that you're life was hard, at least you get the happy ending."

Regina realized that David wasn't looking at her anymore and closed her eyes, counting to ten, three times. "What is it?"

She turned and looked where he was looking. There was a woman walking down the street. She had dark hair that was cut close to her head, with a runner's build. She glanced up at the sky, seemingly not having seen David and Regina yet, then reached into her pack and pulled out a black baseball cap with a B in a spoked wheel on it and after rolling the bill in her hands put it on backwards. Finally she glanced down and for just a second her foot paused before she took her next step.

David sighed, "Great, someone new in town. That hasn't been a good thing yet."

Regina looked over at David with genuine surprise on her face, "Henry at one point was new in town, so was Emma... care to, revise your statement."

David waved Regina away, "You know what I mean."

Regina started walking again to meet the woman halfway there, and, of course, David followed. As they got closer they heard music coming from the woman's music player.

_I traveled far and wide_  
_And laid this head in many ports_  
_I was guided by a compass_  
_I saw beauty to the north_  
_I drew the tales of many lives_  
_And wore the faces of my own_  
_I had these memories all around me_  
_So I wouldn't be alone_

David spoke first when they got to the woman, "Do you need help getting back to the highway?"

The woman stopped the music and pulled out her ear buds, "Nope. According to the sign I'm just were I need to be. You can call me Aggie. Aggie Lillian."

David tried to speak again, but Regina cut him off, "Is that a... tail?"

Aggie glanced down to her left and where her shirt had ridden up just a bit above her jeans. "Ayup. Wanna see the rest of it?"

David put his hands up, "No, that's..."

Regina seemed oddly serious though, and talked over the Prince, "Yes, please."

"'Kay." Aggie dropped her bag and peeled off her jacket and then the T-shirt, one with what looked like a flying Elvis head in the middle. David started to object again, but, Aggie was wearing a bra underneath the shirt. She turned and revealed most of the rest of the tattoo. On her right shoulder was the face of the tiger, the body went down to the left and stopped at the tail right above her left hip. "Just a tiger."

Regina was still perfectly silent as David reached down and picked up the shirt and jacket, "You'll catch your death out here."

Aggie just smiled as she put back on her clothes, "Nah. I have stuff to do yet. So, you guys have somewhere to get something to eat? I am famished. Nothing makes me hungry like riding public transit." She glanced over at Regina, "Hey, are you okay?"

Regina held her hand out, "I'm Regina... Regina Mills."

Aggie took Regina's hand with a tight grip, "Hello Regina Mills. I think that you and me, we're gonna be best buds."

David interrupted, "You said food, well, Granny's isn't too far away, and has a great burger."

"Hmm I could go for that, but... think they have a veggie burger?"


	3. Chapter 2

Hook sighed, "Where are you off to now?"

Cora paused at the top of the stairs of the hold of the invisible boat, "Something in town has changed, can't you feel it in the air?"

* * *

"What's wrong Rumpel?"

Gold frowned as he stared out the front window of his store, "I'm not sure Belle. The energy of the town has... shifted somehow."

Belle put a hand on Gold's arm, "We will be alright."

Gold patted Belle's hand distractedly, "Of course we will. Of course."

* * *

"Hello."

Aggie took her gaze from David, who hadn't stopped talking since they'd met in the road. She blinked, "Wow."

The woman behind the counter pursed her lips, "Smooth, that was very smooth."

Aggie took a seat at the counter, paying no attention to what Regina or David did. "Aggie."

"Ruby."

Aggie mumbled, "I wear it just for you  
I've got your name written here  
In a rose tattoo."

Ruby frowned, "What?"

Aggie cleared her throat and waved a hand, "Ah, nothin', um, the dour one over there said that you might have some sorta veggie burger stuffed back there somewhere?"

"Regina?"

"David. Regina seems nice."

Ruby studied Aggie for a long moment, "You feeling alright, you don't look sick, but, Regina, she's no one's friend, and she's definitely not nice."

Aggie sat back on the stool a bit and spread out her arms, "Have ya see me?" She took off her hat and laid it next to her on the counter, "I'd also love some coffee too."

"Now, that I know we can do. Sugar, Cream?"

"Nothin' but coffee if you would. It was a long trip here."

Ruby nodded slowly as she poured the coffee, "So, you're here on purpose?"

"I am."

"Why?"

Aggie smiled to herself, "I believe that's for me to know, and the rest of you two find out."

* * *

"She should be in jail. She killed Archie."

Snow White sat on the edge of a desk in the Sheriff's Office and watched as Emma paced. "I've found that when Regina is put into a- let's say put into a defensive situation it never seems to end well. And, the fairy dust won't work again as we've seen."

Emma stopped walking, "So, we let her be, let her plan and plot our destruction."

"For now, yes. David's watching her." Snow paused, "It will be okay. We're on the side of good Emma, good always triumphs over evil. Ah, how's Henry?"

Emma blew out a breath and sank into one of the desk chairs, "He seems to swing from being mad and disappointed in her to not believing that she did it, that we're all wrong." She shook her head, "I don't know what in the world to say to him."

Snow stood and put a hand on Emma's shoulder, "Tell him that he's safe and that we'll figure it all out."

Emma stood again and rolled her shoulders, "You're sure you're okay to do the eulogy for Archie?"

Snow threaded her arm through her daughter's, "Yes. Between myself and Marco we'll honor Archie well." She paused, "Are you ready for lunch?"

Emma nodded, "Granny's."

"Sounds good to me."

* * *

"Ooh... Henry, did you hear? Someone walked into town. Somebody new."

Grace had all of Henry's attention. "Woman or man?"

Grace shrugged, "Don't know. They're at Granny's I guess." Henry grabbed his book bag and Grace grabbed him by the arm. "You can't just leave Henry. The teacher'll flip out."

Henry shrugged, "Just tell her that I went to Granny's."

Grace blew out a breath as Henry swung on his backpack and dashed down the street.

* * *

"Not bad." Ruby pulled away the plate.

"You're not our first vegetarian here. So, you've got all those tattoos, why is the one on your wrist covered?"

Aggie looked down at her right wrist. Ruby was right. The only tattoo she had on the lower part of her right arm sat under a leather cuff. Aggie rubbed at the cuff for a moment before she looked back up. "You're just full of questions, aren't you."

Ruby put another plate in front of Aggie. "Well, someone has to do it."

Aggie tried to push the plate with its piece of pie on it back towards Ruby, "I didn't..."

"On the house."

Aggie looked between the pie and Ruby. "You don't even know me." She gestured towards a nearby table where Regina and David ignored each other but both sat watching her intently. "They both don't seem to trust me, though, weirdly enough I think they don't trust me for two different reasons."

"Mm... all true. But, I made the pie myself."

"No poison?"

Ruby smirked just a bit, "Or laxative. None at all." Her eyes twinkled, "Want me to take a bite first?"

Aggie pulled the plate towards her, "See, now I know that it's good if you want some." She took a bite and blinked as she looked up, "Ihs welly good."

Ruby smiled and was about to speak again when Granny's voice came from the kitchen. "Ruby-"

"Be right back."

The moment she left Regina and David descended on her, talking over one another. Aggie shut both of them out and ate the pie. It was quite the amazing piece of pie.

It was the bell ringing over the door that finally got her attention away from said pie. She turned as a blonde and brunette entered. The blonde spoke, "What's going on? Who are you?"

Aggie swivelled all the way around, "What a welcoming committee Storybrooke has." She looked to Regina as she got off the stool. "Tell Ruby maybe I'll see her around..."

Aggie started past Regina, but the dark haired woman caught Aggie's arm before she could get by. "Wait-"

Aggie's body jerked a little and she looked over at Regina, "For?"

"I want to talk to you."

Emma stepped towards the two women, "Or, you could leave her alone."

Regina stood still for a moment, her hand still on Aggie's arm and then in burst of black and purple smoke both were gone.

Emma cursed just as Henry appeared at the doorway. "What happened? Where's the new person in town? Who is it?"

Emma turned, "Henry... why aren't you at school?"

Snow put a hand on Emma's shoulder, "Welcome to motherhood."

* * *

Aggie stumbled forward, catching herself on of all things a stall door, "What the- where?"

"We're still in Storybrooke. I just wanted a little privacy so that we could talk. I won't hurt you. I have turned over a new leaf despite what everyone in the town thinks. I'm no longer the woman I was- or, I'm trying not to be the evil queen anymore."

"Evil Queen?"

Regina went to one of the other stalls and the horse in it came to her. "I know that you know who I am, what I mean. So you can drop the charade. I'm not sure how you know, but, don't try and play me. Why are you here?"

Aggie joined Regina at the horse's stall, "I'm not entirely sure. I felt pulled here, but that pull didn't come with any words of instruction."

"Is Aggie your real name?"

Aggie nodded, "Yep. Well, real nickname at least, and no... I'm not gonna tell you what it stands for."

Regina ran her hand along the horse. "You may not know why you're here, but you know more than you're saying. You're from another land."

"I am- actually, I'm from yours- originally."

Regina nodded, "They'll be here soon. Will you take their side?"

"Nope." Aggie smiled, "Well, I'd take Ruby's side if she wanted."

"You seem sure of that."

Aggie met Regina's eyes and didn't break eye contact, "Yep. They don't trust you. I do."

"You don't know me."

Aggie shrugged, "So, do you have an extra room?"

Regina frowned in confusion, "You want to come stay with me? I have a target on my back. You could wind up getting caught in the middle."

"First of all, I can take care of myself. I have a freakin' tiger on my back." Aggie crossed her arms over her chest as she heard the stable doors start to open, "And, if you have a target on your back, shouldn't you have someone to watch it?"

Emma looked to be on a mission as she stormed into the stable, 'causing even the horse to take step back. She was flanked by her parents, with Henry rushing to keep up. And, she already had the handcuffs out. "Regina- you can't..."

Aggie moved smoothly so that she was between the two women, "Hey, it was a fun ride, I got to meet Trigger here..."

David took a step forward, "It's alright... Aggie is it... she can't hurt you now. We'll make sure of that."

"Y'all know that there's generally more rope in a kidnapping. I'm fine. I could have walked out of the stable whenever I wanted. But, I didn't want to, and Regina, she even offered me somewhere to get a couple of zz's."

Emma shook her head and gestured towards Aggie, "I know you may think you're tough, with your tattoos, but, she- she's evil. She killed someone."

Aggie tilted her head and gazed at Emma, "Then why isn't she in jail?"

"Because... she isn't."

Aggie pointed at Emma, "See, I think, that deep inside, you don't believe that she killed whoever she killed."

Emma practically growled at Aggie, "She isn't in jail because I'm not sure that the jailhouse would survive it. If you hadn't noticed, Regina is very, very powerful." Emma's gaze went to Regina, "What, you're going to let someone else fight your battles, that's unlike you."

Regina's frown was becoming semi-permanent on her face, "I- something weird is going on Emma, something... can't you feel it."

Emma turned away from Regina and looked at Aggie again, "She's evil."

Aggie glanced over her shoulder, "I don't know. The horses don't seem to mind her, and I always pay attention to what animals think of people." Aggie draped her arm around Regina's shoulders, ignoring the not friendly look that Regina shot her.

Emma looked between Regina and Aggie, and finally with a pointed exhalation, turned and left the stable. Snow and David followed closely after, but Henry seemed to linger, stuck halfway between his two mothers. Finally when Emma called his name he ran out to meet her.

Once the entire 'royal family' was gone Regina shook off Aggie's arm and cleared her throat a few times. "I'm just a bit impressed. Usually there are more insults hurled before they leave."

Aggie smiled, "Oh, I could talk a scuba diver at the bottom of the Atlantic into giving me his air tank." Aggie patted the top of her head. "Oops, forgot my hat at Granny's..."

Regina glanced at Aggie, "You could swing by and..."

Aggie smirked, "Nah... I'll get it tomorrow, it'll give me a chance to see her again."

Regina regarded Aggie, "Is that why you're here? To... tame the wolf?"

Aggie chuckled, "Nah. I mean. She's gorgeous isn't she, but, no... I'm not here for Red."

* * *

"You're using my spyglass again."

"I am. I'm trying to figure who the newcomer is to Storybrooke."

Hook snatched it from Cora's hand and looked through it himself, "No... not her. What is she doing here? She went through the whirlpool, I'd... finally, finally gotten rid of her."

Cora watched Hook as he kept staring through the glass, "You know who she is." Cora didn't.

Hook slammed the spyglass closed with just a bit too much force. "The woman who's been trying to kill me since she was a little girl. I guess she's grown up just a bit."

"In Neverland?"

"In Neverland. So, does her presence change our plans?"

Cora took back the spyglass and watched through it as Regina and Aggie walked out of the stable together. "I do believe she has befriended my Regina. So, yes, she, whoever she is, will need to be taken care of. My daughter can have no one to turn to."

Hook's eyes glinted with hate. "Works for me. A warm up before I skin the Crocodile."


	4. Chapter 3

_This ones for the mighty sea_  
_Mischief, gold and piracy_  
_This ones for the man that raised me_  
_Taught me sacrifice and bravery_  
_This ones for our favorite game_  
_Black and gold, we wave the flag_  
_This ones for my family name_  
_With pride I wear it to the grave_

_Some may be from showing up_  
_Others are from growing up_  
_Sometimes I was so messed up and didn't have a clue._

"Aggie?"

Aggie opened her eyes and took her earbuds out. The people of Storybrooke were just never going to let her get through the entire song. She sat out on the steps of the Mayor's house, preparing herself for what was to come next, "Henry right? Bet Emma doesn't know where you are, huh?"

Henry shrugged, "Most of the time my Mo... Regina didn't know either, but, I'm not bad or anything. I mean... why do you have a lot of tattoos?"

Aggie opened her arms, "They tell my story."

"Emma, my Mom said that someone told her that you have a tiger on your back?" He paused, "Did you get... attacked by a tiger or something?"

Aggie chuckled a little, "No. Let's see, the tiger is the middle of my story."

"Your story."

Aggie sat up a bit straighter and crossed her arms over her chest, "Well, I'm not gonna just give you who I am you know. Your Mom- Regina- said that you're the resident know it all on all things fairy tale. So, who am I?"

Henry stared at Aggie for a long moment. "A Tiger?" Aggie nodded, "And, you said your name is Aggie Lillian?"

She nodded again, "That's the name I gave myself in this world, yep."

Henry shook his head, "I don't know."

Aggie put her hands up, "Not a big deal. As I said, that's just the middle part of my story. The important parts are the beginning and right now, my middle is just how I got here."

Henry studied Aggie carefully, "Are you going to hurt my Mom Emma, or my Grandad and Snow?"

"Why would I? Nah, I'm just here to protect Regina. Is it okay if I do that?"

Aggie watched Henry's face as he thought about that, as hope flashed across his face for just a fraction of a second, "Why? She killed Archie."

Aggie leaned back again, "What if she didn't?"

"Ruby wouldn't lie."

Aggie smirked, "Oh, of that I have no doubt, but... this is Storybrooke isn't it? Would one person looking like another be so, soo weird?"

Before Henry could answer Pongo, Archie's dog, came bounding up to the two of them, and proceeded to put his paws in Aggie's lap and slobber all over her. Henry laughed, "I think he likes you."

"Pfttt... pah, pah... yep, got that. Down boy..." She gave him a rub behind the ears as she put his paws onto the stairs. He climbed the stairs and after turning in a circle three times lay down and seemed to breathe out.

"Do you have any dog tattoos Aggie? Because I think he likes you."

"Nope. No dogs, I'm strictly a cat person. Oops... I think you're busted Henry."

Emma was on the other side of the street and Henry winced, "Yeah, I think I'm in trouble. She's going all Mom times a thousand on me."

Henry started to cross the street, but Aggie's voice stopped him, "Hey Nia, just... try and remember some of the times you had- before all this started. With your Mom, Regina?"

Henry frowned, he didn't know what Nia meant, but, nodded and ran across the street to Emma, who definitely wasn't happy.

Pongo's bark was the only warning Aggie had before she was flying across Regina's yard and slamming into a tree.

Hook appeared from thin air and stalked towards Aggie, who still lay on her back on the ground. "You will never be a thorn in my side again... Tiger Lily." His sword was at Aggie's throat, but to his utter annoyance she still smirked up at him. "Why are you smiling, there's nothing for you to smile about..."

"I'd watch out..."

He ignored her, and all of a sudden he was being pulled backwards towards the house. "What, who?" He managed to turn himself around and his eyes narrowed, "Regina."

Aggie stood as Emma and Henry got back to Regina's front yard. When Emma got to Hook's side, Regina released the magical hold she had on him. But, even as she'd pulled Hook towards her she'd never looked at him, the whole time she'd been staring at Aggie. "You let him do that."

Aggie frowned, "Let him?"

Regina came down the steps and didn't stop until she was in Aggie's personal space. "You knew he was there before even Pongo did, despite the cloaking spell you knew he was there, and you let him throw you. Why?"

Aggie shook her head, "Why would I let myself be thrown across your yard, possibly hurt? That makes no sense." She stuffed her hands in her pockets, "I'm gonna take a walk."

"Well, it looks like we hooked a Hook. How'd you get to Storybrooke anyway?"

"Very... carefully. So, you're simply going to let an assassin wander around your town?"

Emma frowned, "Assassin?"

"Tiger Lily. Tried to kill me more than once. Even got on board my ship once, a knife between her teeth."

Henry looked down the sidewalk and watched Aggie walk away. "The middle-"

Emma pulled Henry towards the street, "C'mon Henry."

"No."

Emma glanced at Regina, then back to Henry, "You need to get back to school. And I need to get Hook into lockup."

Henry put a hand on Emma's arm, "She won't hurt me Emma, and when you come back, I promise I'll go back to school."

Emma looked over her son's head at the she in question. "If you hurt him-" She didn't finish the sentence, just gave Regina one last look and yanked Hook to the sidewalk with much more force than necessary.

Henry and Regina stood in the uncomfortable silence for a few moments before Regina broke it, "When Emma gets back, you will... go back to school young man."

Henry groaned, "Mommm..." Then, as he realized what he'd said without thinking his hand went to his mouth. "I- I'm sorry, I..."

Regina climbed the stairs and held open the front door, "Would you like some hot chocolate while you explain to me what you meant by... The middle?"

Henry paused for a moment, then nodded and entered the house.

* * *

The spyglass went flying across the ship, hitting Archie in the head. "Ow... perhaps if you..."

"Shut it bug."

Archie shook his head, "It would be quite obvious even if I did not know already who your daughter is."

Cora pointed at Archie, who winced just a bit, "MY daughter. She is MY daughter. To do with as I please."

Archie sighed, "Cora... she's a grown woman, she has the right to chose her own destiny."

"No. I made her, and if she doesn't join me, I will unmake her." A chilling smile came to Cora's lips, "And, I think I'll do it at... your... funeral."

* * *

"Archie's... funeral... it's after school today. Are you..."

Regina held her cup of hot chocolate in both hands, "I don't think that I'm welcome Henry."

Henry put his mug down and stared right at Regina, "Did you kill Archie?"

Regina took a drink of the hot chocolate, and made a face when it burned her tongue. "No. I didn't." She looked up at Henry. "He was helping me Henry. Without him..."

Henry reached across the table and patted one of Regina's hands, "You have me. I mean, I'm not... I believe you."

"Just like that?"

Henry shrugged, "Aggie, she said that I should remember stuff, from before. Like, how you read to me from Peter Pan when I was little. And how it seemed to take forever to read that book. Answering all my questions, and then checking under the bed and stuff so that I could sleep." He frowned, "But, you did bad things too..."

Regina sighed, "I know. Very bad things. In Fairytale land, and here too. I won't lie to you. Ever again Henry."

They fell silent again, although this time the silence was a little less strained, "You didn't ask me again, about what I meant by The middle..."

"Well, -I- was going to wait until we were done with our hot chocolate."

Henry forged on, "Aggie said that the middle didn't matter. The the begginning and end of her story were the important parts. I... I think that her left arm is her beginning, her back is her middle, and her right arm is her future." Henry made a face, "That sounds so lame."

Regina took another sip of hot chocolate, it had cooled down a bit, "Hmm... so, she was someone else, then she was Tiger Lily, now she's Aggie. Hmm..."

"You're better at this than Emma..."

"Your mother just doesn't have enough experience yet. She... oh damn."

"What? What's wrong?"

* * *

"Aggie. Did you hear, Emma captured Hook."

Aggie slid into a booth, "Emma huh. I was there. Do you have my hat?"

Ruby frowned, "Ah, yeah, somewhere back here. Are you okay?"

"Hook was trying to kill me. Henry, Emma, Regina, they all could have been caught in the crossfire. This... coming here was a bad idea."

Ruby's hand shot out and she grabbed Aggie's right wrist, "What's under there?"

"No... don'..."

But it was too late, Ruby had the leather cuff off of Aggie's wrist, revealing the tattoo underneath. It was on the back side of the wrist, and was a black and white one. A very simple one. It looked like parentheses, except their curved parts were facing each other. And, in between them there was a square. And it looked like the top and bottom part of the curves were coming out of the box.

"I don't get it."

"This one means the most to me  
Stays here for eternity  
A ship that always stays the course  
An anchor for my every choice  
A rose that shines down from above  
I signed and sealed these words in blood  
I heard them once, sung in a song  
It played again and we sang along

You'll always be there with me  
Even if you're gone  
You'll always have my love  
Our memory will live on."

Ruby was still frowning. "What are you..."

Aggie shook her head and took back the cuff, putting it back on. "Nothing. Just lyrics from a song. It doesn't mean anything, it's just a tattoo."

Before Aggie could blink Ruby had the cuff off again and had nearly pulled Aggie across the counter to look closer at the tattoo. "It's covering something. I can barely see it, it's like... a birth mark or something. Looks like a crescent moon. C'mon, c'mon, who am I going to tell?"

Aggie took back her arm, not putting back on the cuff again. "Ah, probably most everyone who doesn't already know."

Ruby smirked just a little, "Okay, you have a point there. Still..."

Aggie looked down at the tattoo, "It's a Rynd. It was put on some people's graves when they died."

"And the birthmark?"

"It's a birthmark. So?"

Ruby grabbed Aggie by the collar and pulled her across the counter, "You will tell me all..." and kissed her, "...everything about you, sooner or later."

Aggie banged back down onto the stool as Ruby went down the counter to someone else. After a moment Regina sat down on one side of her, Henry on the other. Regina did a double take when she saw the tattoo on Aggie's wrist, "Why do you have a millrind tattooed on your wrist?"

Aggie sighed, "You and the boy wonder have probably already figured it out right?"

Henry chimed in, "You're the first born."

Aggie closed her eyes, "When I got here and heard that damn fairytale over, and over and over. Yeah... I'm the first born."


	5. Chapter 4

"How did you get here?"

"Now, now, that's your first question." He looked at Snow. "I believe that you need to teach your daughter better interrogation technique."

David bit back, "Shut it Hook."

Emma tapped his hook against her other palm. "No, no, I think we're going about this all wrong. See, you failed, and... I don't think that you came alone, did you?"

Hook laughed, "And who would I have come with?"

Gold seemed to flow into the room, "Well, what do we have here. Have you actually locked this criminal up Sheriff Swan?"

Emma turned and glared at Gold, "You're not needed here Gold. Leave."

"But why would I want to do that? Captain, Captain, Captain, a long way from your ship and your feud with the boys, aren't you?"

"Seduced anyone else's wives lately?"

Gold made a pointed look at the hook in Emma's hand, "You really need to keep better track of your hand you know Captain."

David stood and put a hand on Gold's shoulders, turning him, "You're not needed her Gold. We have this covered."

"I sincerely doubt that David."

David gave Gold another bit of a shove and the two men walked out of the Sheriff's office leaving Emma and Snow alone with Hook. "You cannot talk your way out of here, just so you know. So, you may as well tell us everything."

Hook was silent, his back against the wall, staring out at the two women, who stared right back. Finally he spoke, "Cora."

Emma latched onto that, asking a flurry of questions, "Cora's with you? Where is she? What's her plan?"

Snow got her look. The look in her eyes that she seemed to get when she fit a piece of information into the puzzle in her brain. "When we were in the Enchanted Forest, she disguised herself as Lancelot." She shook her head, "Why didn't I think of that." She looked up at Emma, "Why didn't you think of that? It wasn't Regina who killed Archie."

* * *

Aggie jumped a little as Regina pulled her from the stool and wrapped her arms around her for a long, very silent moment in the diner. After a moment Aggie pulled back just a bit with a raised eyebrow, "Yeah, I'm not really a hug person."

Regina took a step back and adjusted the shoulders of her shirt, "Ah, yes, neither am I. But, this isn't... a trick, or..."

"No. No it's not."

Henry commented, "She did call me Nia."

Aggie winced at that, "Yeah."

"What does it mean?"

"Nephew."

"Oh."

Regina still seemed tentative. "Cora's your mother?"

"Yep and Henry was my father. But, I was raised by both the Lost Boys and the Natives of Neverland. Being terrorized by Hook and his crew and doing what we could to fight back." She shook her head, "Anyway. I found a portal here... started growing up. Here I am. Younger than my younger sister."

"But- why are you here Aggie?"

She tapped her heart, "Because I could feel when the magic came back.. and I've never met him, but I know who the Dark One is." She looked over at Regina, "People who travelled through the portals to Neverland, in addition to news of Rumpelstiltskin, they also brought me news that Coard had birthed another daughter as well." Her face seemed set in stone, "I can put two and two together. And no one screws with my family. So, here I am."

"Just like that. You don't know me, or anyone in this town, or if we're even on the right side or if the Dark One is in the right."

Aggie shrugged, "What can I say, I've had friends who were family for a long time. But I've wanted a biological family all my life. You're my sister, I have a freakin' Nephew, I don't really care if you're con artists or saints. So, yeah, I'm on your side until we're all dead, or we win. Sound good?"

Before Regina could answer the bell in the door rung and everyone looked up as Snow and Emma stepped into Granny's. "What's up."

Emma ignored Ruby and walked to Regina, "I'm sorry. I should have stayed with my gut feeling."

Regina was silent for a moment before she nodded, "Okay. Why would my mother kill Archie? What did Archie do to her?"

No one spoke up with an answer right away. Everyone thinking of what a great man Archie was, and how he'd always tried his best to help everyone he could, even when he shouldn't. It was Henry who finally answered the question, "Probably didn't do anything to her. But, she wanted to make everybody hate you. She wants to be the only one you love."

No one had a response to that assessment, but the clock helped break the silence as it bonged the hour. Snow put a hand to her head, "Oh- the funeral... It totally slipped my mind."

"Snow... may I say something at the funeral?"

The silence was thick again, and everyone held their breaths. Everyone in the diner but Aggie knew the history, good and bad, between Snow and Regina.

"Okay."

* * *

Cora was gone, but Archie didn't know for how long. He pulled and yanked with all his might. "Damnit." He let out a long breath, pulling as hard as he could, still, nothing. He sighed, "I'm one of the smart ones I should- oh... smarts instead of force. Of course..." He started pulling and twisting the rope in more deliberate ways.

* * *

Ruby sat next to Aggie. So close that their shoulders touched. "That was a beautiful eulogy from Marco. They were best friends."

"It sucks to lose someone like that- a friend."

"Someone you love?"

"Well- I wouldn't go that far." She glanced over at Ruby, "It'll all end here right? Don't know who'll win, but-"

Ruby cut Aggie off as she grabbed Aggie's hand in her own, "We will."

Regina stood and made her way to the pulpit. She stood in the silence for a moment and Ruby whispered to Aggie. "I know she's evil, and all that, but up there... Snow's my best friend and I respect and love David, but- When Regina isn't plotting our destruction and death, she's a better Queen than the rest of the Kings and Queens the Enchanted Forest has ever seen put together."

Regina opened her mouth, then closed it and stared down at her hands. There was a creak of one of the pews and Henry joined Regina up in front. He took a hold of her hand. Regina looked down at it, and back up at the people. "Archie's started every one of our... sessions together with one thought, that the best place to start my healing is by being honest with myself." Her gaze raked across everyone gathered. It was the entire town. "I'm sorry." She let that hang there for a moment before she continued, "I know that it will never be enough. Archie taught me that too, but..." She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again, "Not the hated but the hater has a torment that's greater."

Aggie blinked and whispered, "Did she just quote Xena?"

Ruby looked over, "Who?"

Regina still spoke, "In our... last session Archie gave me a quote by Reinhold Niebuhr, I think he gave it to me because perhaps I could use the beginning of it as many alcoholics use it. Or, perhaps he gave it to me knowing that the part in the middle... Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time, Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace... that was the part I found spoke to me. Oh, I have no doubt that I will come up short, more than once, but when I start to do or say something, stupid, Archie will be there... he was better than all of us, and he will be with us always in his goodness."

It was Grumpy who finally stood, and raised a flask. "To the cricket!"

Regina stepped out from behind the pulpit, Henry's hand still in her own when the doors at the back of the sanctuary flew open.

"NO, no, no, no, NO..." The church rang with Rumpelstiltskin's voice and the door slammed closed. "This is not your... rehabilitation. It is mine, I- planned this all. I- got you all here. I- will find my son in this damn world. This is- My- story."

He held his hand up and Regina's mouth dropped open and she tried to take in air. Emma stood, aiming to go after Henry who was still up there with Regina, although as his adoptive mother got hosited into the air he flew down the stairs and was caught by David before he could get anywhere near Rumplestiltskin.

The Sheriff got thrown backwards, crashing through the nearest stained glass window. "Regina will- continue breaking the curse, I will find my son, and... to hell with the rest of you."

"No."

Rumplestiltskin turned, still not letting go of his long distance grip on Regina's throat. "Oh, Cora... you poor, poor girl. You thought that you would win, that you would get everything you ever wanted."

"She's mine." In response to that, Rumplestiltskin threw

Aggie and Ruby were sitting behind the action. Aggie started to get up, but Ruby tried to pull her down, whispering under her breath, "You'll get hurt."

Aggie smirked and kissed Ruby, whispering back, "Can you go wolf and get out of here? I need his dagger."

"I... yes, but... what are you going to do?"

Aggie smirked, "What, you think little sis is the only one with power in this family?"

Aggie stood and the room seemed to crackle. A ball of red energy appeared in each of her hands and she threw one it at Rumplestiltskin and the other at Cora. Both got knocked back a step, but not knocked down.

Rumplestiltskin whirled, and the fight was on. Energy flying all about the sanctuary, people ducking, or getting in the crossfire, and still, Regina managing to breathe just enough not to die. It was chaos.

* * *

Emma regained consciousness outside, and tried to scramble to her feet. She stumbled a bit and jerked away when a wolf appeared from nowhere. "Wh- Ruby?" Ruby growled at Emma, then put her nose into Emma's back, "You want me to go... I don't..."

It was Archie who translated. "Gold's shop."

Emma's mouth dropped open for just a bare second, "You're alive. Are you okay?"

Archie waved her off, "Gold's here, Belle's here, the shop is empty, we need to get the Dark One's dagger." Ruby was off, running at wolf speed, towards the store. "I think that Ruby agrees."

* * *

Rumplestiltskin taunted Cora, "Do you even know who you're fighting Cora? Do you? Think... think back..."

The noise stopped suddenly in the sanctuary and all that could be heard was Regina's wheezing. Cora stared at Aggie. "You're lying."

"A first born for my ability to spin straw to gold. That was our deal was it not. Now, if you had gotten ahold of my dagger, perhaps you would have had your Henry, your Agrona, and your Regina. But, your story was not written by Grimm, you had no easy answer. And, so, you sent your little Agrona to a world, you didn't even know which one... Am I lying?"

Cora took a step towards Aggie, "Agrona?"

Rumplestiltskin caused both women to fly in opposite directions. "There will be no family reunion today."

* * *

"Find it, we have to find it."

Archie's face was an interesting shade of red, Ruby was quite naked, even as she was tearing through Gold's shop next to Emma. "Ah... I'll... I'll look in the back."

Ruby couldn't help herself, despite the situation, she laughed just a little, "He's cute..."

Emma glanced over, then averted her gaze again, "You are a little distracting Ruby."

"Hey, if ya got it, work it... plus, the wolf doesn't wear clothes." She stopped, "I found it..." She glanced around and picked up a piece of cloth to one side, wrapping the dagger in it.

* * *

Aggie fought against Rumpelstiltskin's spell, trying with all her strength to break be able to move again. But she couldn't move more than a fraction of an inch. Cora wasn't going to be any help. The fight had gone from her, and she lay on the floor watching the fight.

Aggie was still fighting though, "Leave her alone. Leave her... ALONE!"

Rumplestiltskin laughed, "No, no. You see, when your mother dropped you into Neverland I was, needless to say, without my recompense for all the power I gave her. That's where Regina comes into the equation. She was my payment, and she, just like you, are mine."

Cora let go a shot of energy at Rumpelstiltskin, who pushed it aside and it exploded against the wall.

Rumplestiltskin finally let Regina drop to the ground, the energy sapped from her, and Henry ran to her side, kneeling down next to her. "Stop it. Take me. Okay, I'll be your... whatever. Fight by your side. I will, just, let her go, let them go. Please."

"No."

Snow spoke, "Enough Gold. What is it that you want. What is it that you're planning on using them for. Whatever it is, you can have it."

Rumpelstiltskin shook his head and held up a finger, "You, my dear, cannot give it to me. And no, I have both of you, I will not be giving one of you back to your mother, or to this town." He raised an eyebrow, "Would either of you ever love her. She sent you away with nary a glance back, and Regina, she ruined your life, many times over."

The fight seemed to have gone out of Cora. "I was, a pawn?"

"Of course you were a pawn dear. You were all my pawns. I am the most powerful being on Earth. Evil is more powerful than good. Will always be more powerful than good."

The side door of the sanctuary opened and Emma, Archie and a very naked Ruby in human form entered.

Aggie went still in Rumpelstiltskin's magical grip when she saw Ruby. Their gazes met and a smile came to Aggie's face. "Nah... good is pretty damn good sometimes. Oh, and the Tiger is the Queen of the Beasts in this world..."

The dagger flew from the cloth in Ruby's hand through the air and Aggie caught it, just barely getting her fingers around it before it clattered to the floor. The moment that it touched her palm the magic that Rumpelstiltskin had been using dropped and she shook herself just a bit.

Rumpelstiltskin froze, and Cora seemed to get a second wind. "Daughter. You... you control the Dark One, we could..."

Aggie rolled her eyes, "Not in this lifetime or the next mother." Aggie glanced up at Regina, "You got any offers for me sis?"

Everyone's gazes went to Regina who raised her hands away from her body. "Do what you're going to do."

Aggie tilted her head to one side, "You know what I'm gonna do?"

"I have an idea."

Aggie held a hand out. "I need your help to do it."

Regina tried to get up, but fell back down, still too weak. And Henry wasn't strong enough to help her up either. It was Snow who held out a hand to Regina. It was only a second before Regina took it, but, it felt like longer. Snow helped Regina to where Aggie was standing and Rumpelstiltskin was on the ground. "Now what?"

Aggie held out her right hand, the hand that also had the dagger's hilt in it, to Regina. "And we need Emma too." Aggie held out her left hand and Emma joined the sisters, taking the hand. "Here goes nothing."

What happened next was mostly anti-climatic. The dagger disappeared. No poof, no energy explosion, it was just there one moment, and gone the next. What happened to Rumpelstiltskin was a bit more dramatic. It was like the darkness melted out of him. Leaving him with a human face again, and a scared look on it.

Henry was by their side in a moment, "You did it, he's... he's no longer the Dark One. You saved everyone." Henry fell silent, "Wow... I mean, does that mean that it's over?"

Gold seemed to have collapsed in on himself, even shying away from Belle's touch. "No. I failed. All I wanted... was my son."

It was Ruby who spoke up, "So, we just figure out how to break this new curse that happened when the smoke gave us back all our memories. Maybe it's a two step process or something."

David regarded Regina, "She did cast the curse. So, Regina. How do we break it?"

Aggie smiled, "I think I know how to break it. True Love's Kiss is more powerful than any curse. Right?"

Henry looked over at Aggie. "Wait... you mean..."

"Only if you mean it Henry. Because, when we test this... someone could forget who they are if you don't mean it. So?"

Henry stood there perfectly still and silent for a long time. Finally Emma spoke, "What are you two talking about? Who's going to be kissing whom? David and Snow?"

It was Henry who answered the question, "No. Ah... I mean, nobody said that it had to be a slobbery, romantic-y whatever kiss right. I mean, when you kissed me on the cheek Emma I woke from the Sleeping Curse. So, I mean, maybe..." He looked towards Regina, "But, I don't want to screw up."

Regina knelt down in front of Henry and put a hand on his shoulder. "No matter what happens Henry, you won't have screwed up. This, it's all my fault, not yours. Never yours Henry. Never yours."

Henry threw his arms around Regina's neck and hugged Regina as hard as he could and whispered something in her ear that made Regina smile just a bit. Then he let go and quickly, after all he was still a pre-teen boy and the entire town of Storybrooke was watching him, gave Regina a kiss on the cheek.

Nothing happened. At least, nothing that anyone could see. "Did it work?"

Emma opened the church's doors, "Well, we don't have Enchanted Forest outside our door. So... maybe you two were wrong?"

"Nope. I can feel it in my bones. Something's definitely changed."

Everyone looked around, and Ruby voiced the question that everyone was thinking, "So, who's going to try and cross the line first?"


	6. Chapter 5

David had tried talking Snow out of it the entire car ride to the border. But she was insistent. She was going to be the one to cross the border.

It was a town wide event. Everyone but Regina met at the line that had been painted on the street.

David and Snow stood together a bit away from the rest of the group, Snow put a hand to David's cheek, "If I forget, remind me. Okay?"

David didn't answer, but kissed his wife.

Then, Snow took a step across the line and stopped. Aggie, her arm around an again clothed Ruby asked the question, "So, what's your name?"

Snow smiled, "Snow White, Queen of the Enchanted Forest..."

* * *

Regina had decided that she didn't need to be there for the denouement of the story, and so, had gone home. She wasn't sure what would happen next. She knew that she had done a lot of things that could not simply be swept under the rug. She walked into her living room, ground to a halt, and her mouth dropped open.

After a moment she backed out of the living room and went back out into the entranceway. She stared at her reflection in the mirror above the landline handset.

So much had changed recently. Who was she? The Evil Queen? The Mayor? Daughter of Cora? Or mother of Henry? Sister of Aggie perhaps?

Finally she picked up the handset and dialed a number. She could barely hear Ruby on the other side. She supposed that the crossing of the line had gone well. Henry's true love kiss on the cheek had broken the rest of the spell.

"If you can... pry yourself away from Aggie's embrace, you probably want to get Emma, the... Queen and King and such and get over here. There's something they should see."

"Regina- there's..."

Regina cut Ruby off, "Trus..." She trailed off as she realized what she'd been about to say. "They'll want to see this."

* * *

"It just... appeared?" Snow turned to Regina. "Did you create it?" Regina shook her head. The whole gang was in her living room. Snow, David, Granny, Ruby, Emma, Henry, Regina and Archie, who'd been getting lots of welcome back hugs.

They all stared at the glowing, human sized, doorway.

"A portal."

"A portal."

"Do we know where it go-"

A foot came through first, followed closely by the rest of the body. "Mulan?"

Snow looked to David, "We can go home. We can all go home."

Regina spoke up, "Or, we can stay. We're at the end, the place where everyone has to make their choice."

Snow studied the portal, "Do you think it will stay up?"

Regina shook her head, "I don't know."

Snow smiled at Regina, "Thank you. For telling us. This..." She looked around, "In your house. You have changed."

Regina glanced towards Archie, "Maybe Archie can help me change some more."

Emma spoke up, "And the rest of us too... no matter where we end up."

Henry smiled up at his mom, "Yeah, maybe you'll get your happy ending too. Daniel... or... or someone else."

Regina didn't look convinced, "Yes, maybe..."


	7. Epilogue

"Did she, did she, did the Evil Queen live happily ever after?"

Regina glanced over the two young children's heads and across the room. "I don't know Emma. Did the Evil Queen live happily ever after?"

Emma smiled back and came over to join Regina and the girls in front of the fire, taking a hold of Regina's hand in her own. "Well, sometimes the Evil Queen lived happily ever after. When her wife wasn't pregnant for example, or when her son wasn't off in the fairy dust caves getting into mischief with the dwarves, or getting into life threatening trouble with his Aunt Aggie. Yes. She did."

The two girls looked from one of their mother's to the other. "Momma, are you the Evil Queen?"

Regina opened her mouth to answer, but it was Emma who answered first. "No. Of course not. Now, who's up for some hot porridge." Both girls made a face and Emma chuckled, "Yeah, what I wouldn't give for a microwave. That... that's magic."

Regina and Emma bent by the fire, watching the food cook and looked over as they heard the girls still talking. "Momma was the Queen, she was..."

"But that means she's bad."

"No, 'cause she's better and good and it all worked out in the end." She looked over at Emma, "Can you tell us that story Momma, Mommy? Please?"

Regina picked up the younger girl and swung her in a circle, "Not tonight, tonight you eat and sleep. But... maybe tomorrow after your schooling. How's that sound?"

They both frowned, but, did as they were told, ate their porridge, which Regina was pretty darn good at making Emma had to admit to herself, and went to bed.

Emma and Regina huddled in front of the fireplace in each others arms, "Are we really going to tell them... that story... tomorrow?"

"Hell no. But... maybe Aggie'll or Henry will come home with some trinket that will keep their attention and make them forget about it."

Emma kissed Regina and lay her head against the black haired woman's chest, "It is a good story though. Full of love and sword fights and a little bit of reincarnation."

Regina stared into the popping fire. "Maybe... maybe when their heart is broken for the first time. Then, that will be the time to tell our story." She paused, "I love you Queen Swan."

Emma kissed Regina again, and brushed a lock of hair from Regina's eyes, "And I love you Queen Regina."

* * *

Fin ~ January 11th, 2013


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